GOrilla or Go Home.

“Look at the tradition, process it, innovate it. Fall down, stand up. Enjoy the moment.” So says Gorilla’s mantra. When talking business models, without hesitation Schreier points to the iconic Ricola lozenge company as a source of inspiration for Gorilla. “They are authorized to claim that they make the best lollies in Switzerland,” he explains, adding that “they do sustainable business without big furore.”

Focused on steady evolution, after first connecting with shops and showrooms at home and throughout Europe, Gorilla’s reach was extended to Asia before making inroads with boutique shops in New York, Los Angeles and Florida. Explosive mass marketing “has got nothing to do with who we are, with what we care for, with what we like and regard as desirable,” Schreier says. There are no plans to outsource production to Asia, but he proudly notes that Gorilla frames are actually imported into Taiwan.

Slow and steady may indeed win the race, but a bit of glamour can go a long way to accent the grit of tradition. To that end, when Tokyo Fixed Gear opened their new store in London last fall, one of their first projects was to set film star and adventure buff Ewan McGregor up with one of Gorilla’s Hattara framesets.

Celebrity cameos aside, Schreier is content to nurse his brand with healthy and sustainable growth. Thus far Gorilla has been a compact enterprise, but expansion looms, a prospect that is especially daunting for a small company considering the current economic climate. While to date Gorilla has focused on frames, Schreier has begun reaching out to investors to further develop the brand; the company will begin inching into the complete bike market this year, and has separately also been working on a beautiful, traditionally-styled city bike designed for women. Gorilla’s grassroots support for cycling in all its forms, from the track to the street, should help ease any growing pains they encounter. In the meantime Schreier plans to take his own advice and enjoy the ride.